The present invention relates generally to turbine blades for a gas turbine engine and, in particular, to a method of rebuilding the tips of continuous incline turbine blades, and the resulting rebuilt blade.
It is well known that air is pressurized in a compressor of a gas turbine engine and mixed with fuel in a combustor to generate hot combustion gases. These gases flow downstream through one or more turbines where energy is extracted. In a typical turbine, a row of circumferentially spaced-apart rotor blades extend radially outwardly from a supporting rotor disk. Each blade typically includes a dovetail which permits assembly and disassembly of the blade in a corresponding dovetail slot in the rotor disk, as well as an airfoil which extends radially outwardly from the dovetail.
The airfoil has a generally concave pressure side and generally convex suction side extending axially between corresponding leading and trailing edges and radially between a root and a tip. The blade tip is closely spaced in relation to an outer turbine shroud for minimizing leakage of the combustion gases flowing downstream between the turbine blades. Maximum efficiency of the engine is obtained by minimizing the tip clearance, but is limited by the differential thermal and mechanical expansion and contraction coefficients between the rotor blades and the turbine shroud. Sufficient spacing must be maintained in order to minimize the occurrence of undesirable contact between the blade tip and the turbine shroud.
The turbine blades are bathed in hot combustion gases, and effective cooling is therefore required in order to extend the useful life of the blade. The blade airfoils are hollow and disposed in flow communication with the compressor so that pressurized air may be bled from the compressor and used in cooling the airfoils. Airfoil cooling is quite sophisticated and may be effected using various forms of internal cooling channels and features, as well as cooling holes through the walls of the airfoil for discharging the cooling air.
The blade tip is particularly difficult to cool since it is located directly adjacent to the turbine shroud and the hot combustion gases which flow through the tip gap. Accordingly, a portion of the air channeled inside the blade is typically discharged through the tip for cooling. The tip typically includes a continuous radially outwardly projecting edge rib formed coextensively along the pressure and suction sides between the leading and trailing edges. The tip rib follows the aerodynamic contour around the blade and is a significant contributor to the aerodynamic efficiency of the blade.
Generally, the tip rib has portions spaced-apart on the opposite pressure and suction sides to define an open top tip cavity. A tip cap extends between the pressure and suction side ribs and encloses the top of the blade for containing the cooling air. Tip holes are also provided which extend through the floor for cooling the tip and filling the tip cavity.
Several patents relate to the cooling of turbine blade tips, including: U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,789 to Butts et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,556 to Bunker; U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,129 to Mayer et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,530 to Lee and U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,829 to Lee. These patents disclose various blade tip configurations which include an offset on the pressure and/or suction sides in order to increase flow resistance through the tip gap.
In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,829 discloses a turbine blade tip that alters the pressure distribution near the tip region to reduce the overall tip leakage flow and thereby increase the efficiency of the turbine. The blade tip develops a recirculation zone adjacent the ribs in order to improve the flow characteristics and pressure distribution at the tip region. This is accomplished by means of an inclined squealer and a shielded film shelf. It is anticipated that the tip region of the blade will require several rebuilds during the service life of the blade. A practical way of carrying out these rebuild procedures is necessary to achieve the full advantage of this new blade. This application discloses the use of electrical discharge machining (EDM) to carry out this rebuild process, and the resultant turbine blade with discrete film shelf notches.